Starting device for vapor-converters.



' P. H. THOMAS.

STARTING DEVICE FOR VAPOR CONVERTERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24. 1908.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914- WITNESS 8:

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

rEEcY H. THOMAS, or MONTCLAIR, NEW JE SEY, AssIeNoE, BY mEsNE ASSIGN-MENTS, '10 COOPER.HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF

CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

STARTING DEVICE FOR VAPOR-CONVERTERS,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Sept. 15, 1914,

5 Original application-filed May 11, 1905,. Serial No. 259,956. Dividedaid this applicationfiled September 24,

1909. Serial No. 519,380

Vapor-Converters, of which the following is a specification.

It has been proposed toi start vapor converters such as are exemplifiedby the wellknownmercury vapor converter, by means of, a sto'ragebatteryacting through metallic contacts which are brought together andseparated within the converter. This starting has usually been done byhand and the connection has been made by the use of a reversing switchwhich originally connects the storage battery in one direction throughthe apparatus and afterward reverses the connections. In the presentinstance I causeno reversal of the polarity of the storage battery,butdepend upon connections which will be fully described in thdpresentspecification,

circuits and apparatus which may be used in carrying out my invention.

In the drawings, :1 is the container of a mercury vapor converter, 2 and3 are positive electrodes of solid material therein, and

- 4 is the main negative electrode of the apparatus, 5 being asupplemental electrode 1 therefor.

To the negative electrode 4 I-join a con.-

,-ductor including an inductance, 6, leading through a magnet, 7, to onepole of a storage battery, 8, the opposite pole of which is f joined toan intermediate point of'the secnet 7 I arrange a cut-out, 11, capableof being operated -b the-said magnet; and I also provide a ti tingmagnet, 12, both the tilting magnet and the cut-out being in--.;'oluded, in-a circuit including the batteryv 8 andares'istance, 16,and shunting the supplerr'i'ental electrode 5. Between the -.t ermi-.551 f e-f-ith conda -,9 -m w "dtooperate'faswitc ,13,i elude ts-leadinfrom one sideof the place a coil The drawing herewith is a diagram ofthe: magnet l2.v In thelast described circuit I may alsofincludeares1stance, 15.

The operation of the described organization is as follows: When thealternating current clrcuit leading to the primary 10 is closed, and thesecondary 9 is excited, the

coil 14; will be energized and thus close the switch 13. Current fromthe storage batv:tery 8 will then pass by way of the switch 13, theresistance 15 and the coil 12 to the opposite pole of the storagebattery, causing the container 1 to be tilted until the mercury HoBok N,NEW JERSEY, A

{at 4 connects with the mercury at 5. This faction closes a shuntcircuit-to the coil 12 through the magnet 7 ,the inductance 6, theelectrodes 4.- and 5 and the resistance 16, deflecting thecurrent fromthe coil 12 and allowing the container tov fall back, thus {breakingcontact between the electrodes 4:

the battery 8 to pass throughthe vapor from E4: to 5, the latter beingtemporarily the negaftive, electrode. During the first alternation, theelectrodes 2 and 3 pass current through the converter by way of theelectrode 5 and through the battery 8 and the shunt thereto :accordingto the Well-known principle of the single-phase vapor converter. Onaccount of the predominance of the alternating cur- :rentelectro-motive-force this action stops the current from the battery 8from passing from 4 to 5, as it had previously done. Cur-' and 5. Thiscauses the direct current from p lrent flows,-however, through coil 12again, icausing 'a second tilting of the container until .a bridge ofmercury is again formed ibetween the electrodes 4-, and 5 whereupon thecurrent which has been passing out of Ethe electrode 5 dividesas'between thetwo electrodes 4 and 5, as in any divided metalliccircuit, The magnet 12 will, however, again "be denergized as before,the converter will ifall back to normal position, and the mercuryelectrodes will be again separated whereupon the electroded becomes thetrue negative electrode, starting thee eration of the converter-throughthe norni course by way of electrode 4, coils 6 and 7 and battery '8 tothe secondary 9 or other source. Now, the cut-out 7 is so proportionedas to operate upon a normalload current. Accordingly, the terminals ofthe said cut-out are separated when the normal current flows through thepath last described, and thus\perma' nently opening the circuit of themagnet 12 which remains out of operation.

- Should the alternating current voltage fall for any cause, theapparatus will go out and the switch coil 14 controlling the switch 13will open, preventing a discharge of the battery through the circuit ofthe coil 12. The restoration of the alternating currentelectro-motive-forcc will cause the ap aratus to start .up again as.already describe Instead of the storage battery 8 we may have any workcircuit containing a counter electromotive-force; for example, the workcircuit supplied from several sources'in parallel to the converter whenthe converter 1 should stop acting for any "reason it will start in themanner already described, or a motor may be substituted for the storagebattery 8, it being understood that the converter will not start exceptwhen the motor is. so energized as to have a counterelectromotive-force. The coil 6 may be placed between the storagebattery 8 and the cut-out 7, if so desired. 25 The magnet 14 with itsswitch 13 may) be omitted and a hand switch may, be su stituted, if sodesired. L

a It is not necessary that the magnet coil 12 be connected as shownbetween the electrodes 4 and 5, it being merely necessary that it be soexcited and controlled that two consecutive connections between 4 and 5be accomplished during the starting of thedevice. For example, the coil12 might be connected with the alternating current source and beconnected between the leads of the electrodes 2 and 3 being controlledby a cutout in the leads of the negative electrode 4 so that onthe'passage of current through the electrode 4 resulting from thecontact of electrodes 4 and 5, the tilting magnet may be deenergiz'ed.The cut-out 7 may be placed in the circuit if desired.

I have found the result may be very neatly and satisfactorilyaccomplished by a careful adjustment of the stops and the t lting mag-'net and by so controlling the motion of r .the container that two ormore rapidly recurring connections occur between the electrodes 4 and 5,with one motion of the container which result may be,obtained bycausingthe stopping to be abrupt. When the mai circuit is closed thestorage battery sendi g current thr'oughthe magnet 12 causes a tiltingof the container 1 suflicient to bring:

into contact the mercury constituting the electrodes and 5. Thereupona-circuit is formed which ncludes the said electrodes,

the inductance 6 and the magnets 7 and 121 so By reason of the action ofthe magnet 7 the cut-out 11 is o erated so as to break this circuitwhich, owever, is momentarily restored by the demagnetization of themagnet 7. During this action the mercury at the 5 electrode 5 has been.acting .as a negative manently held open during tilting of the electrodewith relation to the mercury constituting the electrode 4. The ruptureof the circuit oi the magnet 12 has, however, caused a separation of theelectrodes 4 and 5 while the restoration of the circuit again causescontact between the said electrodes followed as before by an immediateseparation thereof. Under these circumstances, the rupture between the.mercur electrodes 4 and 5 constitutes the electro e 4' a negativeelectrode and starts the apparatus into operation in the proper way.Consequently, the magnet 7 remains energized and the shunt circuithereinbeforedescribed is perthe operation of the apparatus. Meanwhile,the negative electrode resistance" having been broken down, current mayflow through the converter in the usual way from the positive electrodes2 and 3 to the negative electrode 4.

The present application is a division of nfiy appl1cat1on Serial Number259,956, filed ay 11th, 1905. I

I claim as m invention:

1. The combination with a mercury vapor rectifier, comprising anexhausted container, two main anodes, a vaporizable cathode and avaporizable supplemental electrode adapted to contact with the said maincat ode on a tilting of the rectifier, an alternating supply circuit, adirect current receiving circuit containing an apparatus having)acounter electromotive force and suita le connections therefor, of meansfor producing rectifier whereby contact is produced between the maincathode and the su plemen'tal electrode, connections for permitting thesaid counter electromotive force to pass current from the main cathodeto the supplemental electrode during the connection between theseelectrodes, means responsive to this current adapted to permit aseparation of the electrodes upon this current flow, thus reenergizingthe said tilting means, wherebya second contact and separation isproduced between the electrodes.

2. The combination ,with a mercury vapor rectifier, comprising anexhausted container, two main anodes,;a vaporizable cathode and avaporiz'able supplemental electrode adapted to contact with the saidmain cathode on a tlltlng of the rectifier, an alternating supplycircuit, a direct current receiving circuit'containing an apparatushaving a countel; electromotive force and suitable connectiling;therefor, of means :for producing tilt-'- duced between the maincathodeand the supplemental electrode, connections for permittmg thesaid counter electromotive force to pass current 'from the main cathodeto the supplemental electrode-during the connection between theseelectrodes, means adapted to permit a separation of the elecof therectifier whereby contact is pro'-- trodes upon the passage of thiscurrent, thus reenergizing the said tilting means, whereby a secondcontact and separation is produced between the electrodes, together withmeans for interrupting the tilting operation responsive to theestablishment of normal curv rent flow.

" 3. The combination with a mercury vapor rectifier, comprising anexhausted container, two main anodes, a vaporizable cathode and ayaporizable supplemen-' tal electrode adapted to contact with the saidmain cathode on a tilting of the rectifier, an alternating supplycircuit, a direct current receiving elrcuit containing an ap- .paratushaving a counter electromotive force and suitable connections therefor,of means adapted to tilt the rectifier whenthesupplemental electrode isnot in contact with the main cathode. and for releasing the rectifierupon contact between said electrodes, together. with means forpermitting the counter electromotive force to pass current within thecontainer from the main cathode to the supplemental electrode.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York,this 23rd day of September, A. D. 1909.

PERCY H. THOMAS.

Witnesses: v

Amman BEGG; THOS H. BROWN.

